Give homemade applesauce an extra boost of flavor with this Slow Cooker Boozy Applesauce recipe made with whiskey, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon!

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Today is the day! Yes, it’s the day after Thanksgiving. Yes, it’s Black Friday. But it’s also the day that I drop everything and spend a good portion of my morning – and, most likely, afternoon – decorating our Christmas tree. Last week, I started breaking out the Christmas decorations, but I always save the day after Thanksgiving for our tree.

Decorating can be exhausting! And the only thing I really want to do after a day of decorating is sit down with a glass of boozy eggnog and a good Christmas movie. So I usually plan a meal in the slow cooker, or order a pizza, I can be as lazy as possible and just enjoy the glow of our Christmas tree! Just keeping it real!

And speaking of our slow cooker – and booze – I recently made a boozy applesauce that was absolutely, could-eat-it-by-the-spoon delicious! I made it with whiskey since we’ve ended up with a small stash in our basement. I’m not much of a whiskey drinker (unless it’s in eggnog). But I like to use it in marinades or when I feel like spoiling my husband with Chocolate Pecan Pie.

A boozy applesauce that’s full of rich flavor!

In my efforts to use up some of the whiskey we have, I’ve been trying to find recipes to use it in. Turns out, it’s pretty darn good in applesauce!

A lot of homemade applesauce recipes call for granulated sugar. But I used light brown sugar. The mixture of brown sugar and whiskey gives this applesauce a richer flavor that’s slightly caramel-like. Stir in some cinnamon and vanilla and boom! You’ve got yourself an amazing, homemade applesauce that you’ll want to put on everything!

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Chill out this summer with a refreshing Skinny Whiskey Arnold Palmer. This mix of lemonade and iced tea is sweetened with stevia for a low-cal cocktail!

I’ve somehow ended up with an abundance of whiskey. Party over here! It’s not necessarily a bad problem to have, but whiskey isn’t my first drink of choice. We have two bottles of flavored whiskey to use in chocolate pecan pie – my husband’s favorite that I make just for him because I’m not a fan. On top of that, my parents ended up giving me three more full bottles of whiskey.

Since then (and it’s been a while), I’ve been trying to come up with different ways to use up my stash instead of just having it sit on a shelf. There are only so many pies I can make for my boo. Especially since those summer temps are rising and I’d rather not turn on the oven if I don’t have to. So there’s the occasional pie and I’ve been using it in barbecue marinades to use when we grill, too.

Then, there’s the obvious solution – drink it!

So here we are in the second week of July and it’s been hot AF. On one particularly steamy 90 degree day, I decided to put some of our whiskey to good use. I initially wanted to make whiskey spiked lemonade. As I pulled the ingredients to make a stevia simple syrup and mix up a lemonade base, I decided to go one better.

Stevia + whiskey + lemonade + tea = Skinny Whiskey Arnold Palmer!

You know, that classic lemonade and tea drink named after a famous pro golfer. It’s the best of summer beverages in a glass. Especially when it’s spiked!

And since I’ve been doing a decent job of cutting out extra sugar lately, I made my simple syrup for this drink with stevia. That way, when I’m trying to unwind and cool down at the end of a summer day, I won’t feel entirely guilty about guzzling a quart-size mason jar of this whiskey spiked Arnold Palmer.

Sure, you could totally use store bought lemonade and tea, pour some whiskey in, and call it a day. But then, you have to factor in all of that added sugar. It’s worth the extra steps. Not just to cut the sugar, but because it’s doesn’t get any better than homemade lemonade and iced tea!

So I started with whiskey and lemon juice in my shaker (aka a quart mason jar). Then, I made my simple syrup with stevia and water. I let that come to a boil and took it off the heat. Then, I filled the mason jar with ice and poured in the simple syrup.

After that, I boiled a little more water and steeped an iced tea bag. I let that cool for a bit, added it to my mason jar, gave it a good shake, and poured it into pint jars. Garnish with a slice of lemon, some fresh mint, and sip!

If you’re not much of a whiskey drinker – or drinker, in general – omit the booze and enjoy a refreshing summer beverage! You could even go so far as to make the lemonade and tea mixture ahead of time. Then, add the whiskey and garnishes before serving this seriously refreshing summer sip!

There are 15 days left until Christmas! It’s hard to believe that it’s almost here! Going into the holiday season this year, I wasn’t exactly excited for it. Bouncing between holiday celebrations and deciding which family to celebrate with on Christmas Day can be completely exhausting and stressful for all! But this year has been surprisingly different.

This year, we’re celebrating Christmas early with my husband’s family, spending time with my family Christmas Day, and having a quiet Christmas Eve at home. It’s so much easier than traveling back and forth, cramming all of our celebrations into one day! It’s the first year, in a few years, that I’m actually looking forward to each and every holiday celebration!

I’ve made it my mission to keep the holiday season as stress-free as possible and enjoy as much of it as I can! So far, so good! I was able to get my Christmas shopping done early and wrapped presents as they came in. I made a list of Christmas cookies that I wanted to bake and have been eagerly checking it off. I’ve been binge watching my favorite Christmas movies when I can. And I’ve even managed to make us TWO holiday meals for dinner, just because!

The Hatfield® Uncured Ham was the perfect size for my little impromptu weeknight holiday celebration. It’s a flavorful, ethically-raised, fully cooked ham that’s so easy to prepare. Hatfield has taken the stress out of serving a delicious holiday meal for your family. Hatfield’s NEW smaller sized hams are available in ½ Pre-Sliced Pit Ham, ¼ Pre-Sliced Ham (With Natural Juices or With Water Added), and are perfect for holiday gatherings, whether they’re big or small.

For a limited time only, you can receive a $2 rebate with your purchase of any Hatfield® Uncured Ham on Ibotta.

Is it even the holiday season without the ham?

It just wouldn’t be the Christmas season without ham on the holiday table! If you’re like us and have more than one celebration to attend, you know you’ll basically be eating one ham after the other! And probably for days after that (love those leftovers)!

I decided to step up our holiday ham game with a new glaze made with orange marmalade, cranberry juice, and bourbon. My slightly sweet and super flavorful Cranberry Orange Bourbon Glazed Ham will be a hit with your family this Christmas!

Not going to lie, this is probably one of the best hams I’ve ever made and it was so easy to make, too! Since we’re keeping things simple this holiday season, I wanted to share a few tips to help you prepare an amazing holiday meal and still be able to enjoy quality time with the family!

Start meal prepping the night before

Cut your prep time by chopping up vegetables and measuring out other ingredients the night before. It’ll make cooking up your holiday feast a lot easier by cutting out all of that prep time!

Set the table in advance

Set your holiday table as early as possible. That way you’re not scrambling to get your table set before guests arrive. You’ll give yourself more time to make an impression with pretty table settings and centerpieces!

Purchase Hatfield Hams for an easy holiday meal

Go for quality and convenience with a family owned, American made Hatfield Ham this holiday. It’s a gluten-free and seriously delicious holiday meal. Grab a pre-sliced ham and go straight from the oven to the table.

Use premade side dishes to cut time and oven space

Stock the freezer with frozen side dishes. Some of them taste just as good as homemade and take way less time! Keep classic sides on hand like mashed potatoes, squash, or Brussels sprouts. Even if you’re not serving them heated straight from the package, they’ll be easier to doctor up with seasonings and other ingredients!

Take advantage of those leftovers

If there’s one thing that’s as good as the holiday meal itself, it’s the leftovers! After we dish out containers to our family, I’m always excited to start thinking about meals I can create with leftovers. Leftover ham is perfect for ham and eggs in the morning, a delicious ham, brie, and cranberry sauce sandwich for lunch, or a ham and cheese calzone for dinner!

Find Hatfield Hams in the meat case, or special holiday cases, at ACME or where Hatfield products are sold near you. Don’t forget to grab the $2 rebate offer off of Ibotta before you shop! It’s the holidays – take the stress out of your holiday dinner with a Hatfield ham and my crazy good recipe for Cranberry Orange Bourbon Glaze!

A simple apple crisp recipe gets a boozy update with the addition of whiskey. It’s a delicious apple dessert with a buttery oat topping, cinnamon and sugar sweetness, and whiskey infused flavor!

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The November issue of Martha Stewart Living arrived on my doorstep late last week. As I flipped through the glossy pages, full of succulent Thanksgiving dishes and sweet pies and desserts, I became inspired to get in the kitchen and make something. Also found in the pages of this magazine was a recipe for apple crisp. So I decided to make a boozy version inspired by the magazine’s recipe.

Traces of my baking session followed me in between the pages of my new magazine. Little bits of sugar found their way inside the pages – a testament to recipe success! Having a few different types of whiskey on hand, I tweaked the recipe to include a splash of it. Apples and whiskey are a match made in boozy heaven!

Boozy Whiskey Apple Crisp

Apple crisps are very easy to make. Cinnamon, sugar, and whiskey kissed apples fill the bottom of the pan. Then, the apples (I like to use Granny Smith apples) are sprinkled with a simple topping made with oats, sugar, butter, and a touch of salt. As the apple crisp bakes, the oat topping forms a lovely crust over the top of the apples. And as the butter melts into the dish, it turns the cinnamon, sugar, and whiskey into a caramel-type of sauce.

Apple crisp is delicious on its own. But served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top makes it even better! If you’re looking for an easy way to use those apples you picked in the orchard, this is a great way to transform them into something delicious!

Did you make this Boozy Whiskey Apple Crisp recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!